US Justice Department to review Pandora royalty fees for songwriters

The US Justice Department is weighing in on the battle between internet radio leader Pandora and music rights-holders over songwriter royalties.

Licensing groups ASCAP and BMI have argued for some time that the consent decrees from 1941 are out of date and should be changed to reflect the boom in streaming services.

"The Department understands that ASCAP, BMI and some other firms in the music industry believe that the consent decrees need to be modified to account for changes in how music is delivered to and experienced by listeners," the department announced.

Pandora had around 77 million active listeners in May, giving it around 70% of the internet radio market in the US. It believes that the current consent decrees provide a fair royalty rate that protects both songwriters and broadcasters, as well as consumers.

"Any review of the consent decrees must take into account the careful balance of how to best serve songwriters while also fostering competition and innovation to the benefit of consumers," Pandora's director of public affairs Dave Grimaldi said in a statement.